Automation systems comprise one or more interconnected stations. Each of these stations is, in its turn, of modular design and can be assembled from different hardware (HW) modules. Said HW modules generally form the smallest unit of the [automation system—lacuna] and to facilitate the configuration process for the customer are compiled in a HW module catalog. In this catalog an order number is assigned to each HW module. This enables a customer to order an automation system, that is to say a machine, by specifying the corresponding order numbers in an order submitted to the manufacturer. Ideally the customer orders the desired functions of the machine, wherefrom the order is then generated automatically together with the order numbers. The machine then still has to be project engineered, that is to say configured and parameterized. This can be accomplished by means of project engineering software such as, for example, STEP7 from Siemens. This means that a corresponding user interface opens after the project engineering software has been invoked. A project is then created for the machine or for each station individually. In said project, the HW modules are then configured, that is to say, a slot in the station is assigned to each of the ordered and supplied hardware modules and parameterized accordingly. On completion, this configuration is then saved and loaded into the automation system. This project engineering process is generally very complicated and time-consuming, since it is done at the level of the smallest units, i.e. the HW modules; in other words a plurality of individual steps must be completed during the project engineering phase in order to configure all the HW modules.